Shake Your Foundations
by Meinos Kaen
Summary: To try and flush out the enemy Ozpin and Ironwood organize extra curricular activities for new pseudo-teams to spy on, where each of the four members must be from a different school. Jaune finds himself as the Beacon representative for one such team and the four's shared passion will lead them on a path which will change Remnant forever.
1. For Those About To Rock

"Sure, headmaster. Great idea, headmaster. Thank you, headmaster." Jaune grumbled under his breath as he walked through the corridors of the school, checking his scroll once again to be sure that he was heading to the right classroom. He pouted, opening the text with the location sent to him by the headmaster's official communication line.

Scrolling upwards through the messaging history he found the message that, in the morning, had dropped this new incumbency on his shoulders...

* * *

 _"...hope that these extra-curricular activities will constitute an opportunity for the Hunters of the future to create lasting bonds." Ren finished reading the message in his usual drawl._

 _"... Reeeeeen, I got lost halfway through it." Nora whined and her childhood friend rolled his eyes._

 _"They will form extra teams where each member will be from a different one of the four academies." Pyrrha cut in to explain the sense of the email to their excitable team-mate. "You will have one person from Vale, one from Mistral, one from Vacuo and one from Atlas working together on the same task."_

 _"Ooooh... Not it!" Nora suddenly exclaimed, surprising the other three. She grinned... Then three other sets of eyes widened slightly._

 _"Not it."_

 _"Not it!"_

 _"Not it-Shoot!" Jaune groaned as he was too slow. "Come on, guys. Why me?!"_

 _"Other than being too slow?" Ren said with a small grin, earning a chuckle from Pyrrha. "You were selected before-hand, making this totally moot. You're the people person of the team, Jaune."_

 _"No, I'm not." Ren sighed and brought out his right hand, fingers held up high._

 _"Pyrrha is a celebrity. There's a high probability that'll affect the way people relate to her." Down went the index finger. "I tend to be silent and keep to myself and that doesn't always work." Down went the middle. "And Nora is Nora."_

 _"Heeeey!" Down went the ring finger and Jaune sighed. Yeah, sending Nora wouldn't be a good idea at all._

 _"And beside, Jaune, there certainly are more Beacon teams than those of the other academies." Pyrrha interjected, offering her usual placating smile. "The chance of you actually being selected for this project is pretty low."_

 _"... when you put it like that..."_

* * *

"Well, no use in dwelling about it." Jaune sighed as he put his scroll away. It wasn't such a big deal, really. All he and the three people he was about to meet needed to do was spend a few hours together each week doing... Something.

Going into the classroom dreading the very concept of meeting them wouldn't be a good start of a relationship at all. It wasn't their fault that this had happened and, as he was always told...

 _'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'_ His resolve reaffirmed, Jaune realised that his feet had brought him to his destination. Class 115. He checked his attire, his Beacon uniform clean, crisp and with no stains. First impressions were important.

 _'Okay, Jaune. You're about to meet new people, make new friends, learn about other countries. Go get them.'_ He nodded to himself and opened the door. "Excuse me-BalfjwldPanties?!"

"Oh? Hey, there." Jaune flushed up to his ears as he took in the sole occupant of the room a few meters in front of him, sitting on one of the long desks.

She was a pretty girl. She had long aquamarine hair which cascaded and rippled towards the right side of her face, and green eyes. She was wearing the Mistral's Haven academy uniform and sitting with her legs spread lightly, facing the classroom door. Add that her pelvis was currently at the height of Jaune's head and... Thank god once she saw him enter she had stepped off the desk. "You're from Beacon, right?"

"Y-Yes... I am." _'I now like stripes.'_ Jaune cleared his throat even as his mind cleared, saving the image in the hormonal driven part of Jaune's brain. He walked inside the classroom and offered her his left hand. "I'm Jaune Arc."

"Reese Cloris." She grinned and grabbed his hand with her own, shaking energetically as she observed him from head to toe. She whistled. "Damn, you're tall. What have they been feeding you?"

"Home-made Arc family cuisine... And six months of Beacon cafeteria grub." He joked and she grinned again. Oh, yeah! He was doing it! "You're the first one here?"

"Nope. But she hasn't been exactly talkative." Jaune blinked. She? He followed Reese's gaze as she turned around and he almost startled when he realized that someone had been sitting in a corner of the room without him noticing!

This was, as Reese said, another girl. She wasn't wearing an uniform, instead opting for a white and red sports jacket and black kaki. Her hair were of dark pink and her left eye was covered by her beanie but it was probably the same grey blue as the right one.

"... Well, hi there." Jaune smiled once he recovered from the surprise and the girl raised her right hand in greeting. "I'm Jaune."

"May." She let out with a voice that barely carried over the classroom. If it wasn't for the small smile Jaune would have thought she didn't want to be there. "I'm from Shade."

"Lucky! You know they don't have uniforms in Shade?" Reese pouted to him before turning to May with a grin and a thumbs up. "Love your style, by the way!"

"Uhm... Thanks." The rose-haired girl flushed and lowered her gaze to the ground. Reese chuckled at her reaction.

 _'Alright, this is going well. Reese is friendly and outgoing. May seems a bit shy but not enough to lock up. Great! As long as the student from Atlas isn't an ass...'_

"Excuse me!" His thoughts were broken as someone else walked through the door of classroom. Jaune turned around... His eyes widened. Another girl?!

"And here's miss Atlas." Reese joked.

"I am a student from Atlas academy, indeed." She said and suddenly hiccuped. That broke Jaune out of his reverie and offered the newcomer his right hand.

"Welcome! I'm Jaune, she's Resse and the girl over there is May." Jaune moved his gaze as if to point in May's direction...

"I'm Penny!" Only to wince and return his head to the front as his hand was enveloped in a crushing grip! Owowow! "I'm glad to make your acquaintance and I hope we can become friends!"

 **Meinos Kaen Presents**

 **A RWBY Fanfic**

 **Shake Your Foundations**

 **Track 1 - For Those About To Rock...**

"Jaune Arc. Penny Polendina." With each name she pronounced, Glinda Goodwitch placed a corresponding folder on Ozpin's desk. Penny's folder had several red 'confidential' stamps decorating it.

"Reese Chloris." Ironwood placed his own folders, large pictures stapled on the front. First of an aquamarine haired girl with a violet hoodie. "And May Zedong."

"What do we know about them?" Ozpin asked, hands crossed in front of his face, gaze focused on the students from Haven and Shade.

The enemy was there. It was with them in their school but they knew nothing about it.

Not their identities. Not their motivations. And only part of their goals. They also had no way of directly looking for them without advertising their intentions.

James had then suggested a more subtle way of flushing them out. It came as a real surprise to Ozpin and Glinda, since it came from the man who had brought a small platoon to Vale.

With the excuse of extra-curricular activities, they would force students from different countries to interact with trusted ones from Atlas and Vale. These interactions would allow them to gather information and compare them with their intel. Any slip up, anything weird or off could be an important hint.

"Miss Chloris has a history of rebellion." Ironwood explained.

"Hardly constitutes reason enough for suspicion." Glinda commented.

"Rebellion which directly conflicts with _Mistral's Protection Act_." Ironwood added and to that, neither member of Beacon's faculty had anything to say. "She's received multiple warnings but keeps needing them."

"How was she not expelled yet?" Ozpin asked, knowing how strict Mistral was in enforcing the Act.

"Official word is that the violations only ever happened in private." Official word meaning that there may be other reasons never disclosed by the academy and/or the correction officer. "And it is curious that just as she got invited to Vale, the council is now discussing a particular modification to a law."

"And miss Zedong?" Glinda grabbed onto the folder finding it much lighter than she would have thought.

"She's an enigma. Orphan. No surviving family. In and out of orphanages until one day she unlocks her Aura and Semblance."

"On her own?" Glinda inquired. The general nodded.

"As far as anyone knows. Model student but not terribly social. Her only ties are with her team-mates." Yes, those were good enough starting points. It was better to throw as many hooks as possible, anyway. Ozpin nodded. "If there's anything to be found, Penny will detect it. Will your boy be enough of a kindle?"

"Trust me, James." Ozpin smiled at his old friend. "Mister Arc has a way of getting under people's skins. And this team is perfectly arranged around the... suspicious attitudes of its members."

"If there's something there, they'll bring it out of each other." For better or worse.

* * *

"Glad you finally joined us." Reese grinned as May finally sat with them in one the front desk rings. The beanie girl didn't really meet their gazes but smiled as she sat down. "Shy little thing, aren't you?"

"It is a normal reaction for some to keep their distance around strangers." Penny added in, swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the desk.

"But we can't really do team activities together from a distance, can we?" Jaune commented, shrugging his shoulders as he stood in front of the desk. "Speaking of which, does anyone know what exactly that is about?"

"It was in the email but..." Reese admitted, scratching her right cheek. "It was so confusing and vague."

"I'd call it more open-ended than vague." Penny shot back. "The piece was worded in a way so that it leaves next to 100% freedom of choice to the pseudo-teams for their choice of activity. They even provided a budget."

"... Almost complete freedom, you say?" Reese repeated and May blinked as the Mistral-born acquired a large, carnivorous grin.

"You got an idea, Reese?" Jaune asked.

"Hehe, yeah... But we'd need a few things and I don't want to impose. So!" She suddenly got up on her feet and placed her hands on her hips, balled into fists. "What say you we hit the town? We can talk, get to know each other and if we decide to go with my idea we're already there!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

"How wonderful! Our first outing as friends!"

A nod.

* * *

"Hey, Jaune." Pyrrha was the only one in the team's shared apartment as Jaune came back. "Done already?"

"Just came to change, we're going to town." Jaune answered as he started taking off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt... And unbuckling his belt... And taking off his pants... "...idea. You maybe know her?"

"Eh, uhm? What was that?" Pyrrha asked, flushing as she looked at Jaune's face.

"Reese is from Mistral. I thought... Ah, nevermind. Don't want to miss the next bullhead." Jaune shook his head as he put on jeans, a tee and a non-bunny hoodie. "I'll see you later, Pyrrha."

"Yeah... Bye, Jaune." The redhead waved her hand, feeling a bit guilty about not hearing what he had to say...

But all the extra training she was putting him through was bearing fruit, damn it.

* * *

"Are you alright, Jaune? Your complexion is a full measure whiter than before."

"I'm alright... As long as I don't come across food for the next ten minutes." Jaune replied, grinning weakly at the ginger girl while May and Reese smiled and chuckled at his predicament.

"First time I see a future Hunter with air-sickness." Reese commented and May made a gesture with her right hand, bringing it curled in a half-fist to her mouth.

"It's not air-sickness. Just passenger bullheads... And no, I don't need a barf-bag." He groaned and leaned his head backwards against the cool metallic surface. "It's a work in progress. The first time I rode this thing I lost my breakfast."

"Oh, that sounds terrible! Did you ever find it again?" At that comment, everyone else turned to Penny, staring at her in confusion... Then they burst out in laughter. The redhead just tilted her head to the side.

* * *

"Finally here. I can't believe it." The bullhead ride had finished without incident and once descended, Reese had led them to a large road a few blocks off Vale City's main area. "Ladies and gentleman, let me welcome you to _Cadmium Town_!"

"... Oh wow." Jaune let out, his eyes widened at the amalgam of colours, shops and attires decorating people and buildings on both sides of the road. "What is this place?"

"Cadmium Town, also called the _Kaleidoscope_." Penny answered before Reese could, her voice feeling like she was reading something off a book. "It's the location in Vale City that best caters to the need of people looking for items from the other kingdoms. It's also regarded as a most fertile ground for cultural experimentation."

"I would have used less words but, what she said!" Reese grinned. "No matter what you're into, you can find it here!"

"You mean things like food or..." Jaune trailed off as he heard the sound of munching. He turned to the side to see May chewing on something, holding a toothpick and a paper cup filled with steaming ball shaped objects. His eyes widened. When did she get that?!

"Food, literature... Aaaand those things we'd need for my idea."

"We still don't know what that is, by the way..." Jaune commented while he took the ball May offered him and popped it in his mouth... Was that octopus?

"Hehehe... Okay, I guess I should come clean." Reese admitted, scratching the back of her head through her hoodie. To her right, Penny's pupils widened just slightly, her lips set in a smile as she paid close attention to the Mistral student. "Do you like music?"

"Uhm, as much as anyone else I guess... Hey, May. These are really good!" Jaune answered with a grin and May smiled. "My sisters are much more into it than I am. One even roped me into her guitar lessons."

"You know how to play a guitar? Great!" Reese's eyes shone with an excited light. "I like to play percussion instruments. My favourite though is impossible to find in Mistral. I've only ever seen it in expositions and such."

"... I think I'm starting to understand your idea." Jaune grinned at Reese. "I bet it's much more common in Vale, isn't it?"

"Common?! Vale is where it was invented!" Reese answered, seemingly more excited by the second. "And more specifically, it was created at..."

* * *

Oleander. Even among the many sights Cadmium Town offered this place stood out. First, for the size. The shop took up the entirety of a three story building in the usual vale architecture, with white stone decorated in particularly well done graffiti.

Second, the sound. It wasn't just the speakers in the shop Jaune realized as their quartet stepped inside, glass doors sliding out of their way. No matter the floor, he could hear or feel the vibrations of some kind of instrument being played.

Because that's what the shop was. It sold musical instruments.

"I've never seen so many musical instruments together before." He admitted, his eyes widening. The only kind of musical instrument he was directly familiar with was his older sister's acoustic guitar. There were a few that he knew by name but...

"I know! Isn't this awesome?!" Reese exclaimed and Penny hummed in thought. Her eyes glinted for an instant.

"So your idea for team activity was learning an instrument?" The redhead asked and Reese flushed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Well, kind of... If you want to." She admitted, suddenly sheepish. "I mean, I don't want to impose. It's just that we don't have all these instruments in Mistral and I've never played with other people before..."

"And the school is paying." Jaune added and chuckled. Learning to play an instrument, huh? Well he already was acquainted with the guitar, so he guessed he could just continue with that. "I'm all for it. What about you, Penny?"

"Ab-So-Lutely! I'd love to engage in musical activities!" Jaune didn't miss the way Reese's face lighted up.

"Awesome! What about you, May...?" Reese turned in the direction of the spot where the Vacuo resident had been standing... Only to find her missing. She blinked. "May?"

"Huh? Where did she go?" Jaune asked out loud and Penny's eyed widened.

"I... I didn't detect the moment she moved." The redhead let out, sounding like the admission was a great shock to her. "How did she-"

"Huh? You want to try this instrument?" The group turned all in the same direction as they heard a new voice echo in the shop. One of the shop owners was addressing May, who was pointing at a specific instrument among a rack of similar looking ones. May nodded and the man grinned. "Some appreciation for the bass, finally."

"A bass?" Jaune murmured as May was presented with a four strings instrument in shades of gold and brow and a longer neck than that of a guitar.

"A bass!" Reese walked closer as May put on the strap of the instrument, aided by the man whose name tag said Trujillo. "It's a slapping slash plucking instrument."

"You know your stuff, girl" The employee said as May gave the bass strapped on her a couple tentative plucks with a white pick she had grabbed from a nearby counter, the cords humming with low, strong sounds. She smiled and grabbed it properly. "You a bass player too?"

"Nah, I'm more of a percussion gal. i just know my rhythm section." Reese answered with a grin. "Speaking of which, where are the drum kits?"

"For those you have to see McBrain upstairs." Reese nodded and turned to Jaune.

"You said you play guitar, Jaune?" He scratched his right cheek.

"Well, yeah. Mostly as backup for my sister, though." Reese blinked in confusion and Jaune explained. "Basically, she played the main part of the song while I did the background stuff? Does that make sense?"

"That means you were playing rhythm guitar." A new voice cut in from behind. Another of the shop owners had walked up to their little ragtag group, long hair tied to the side of his head with a string. "And your sister was the lead guitar."

"Hey, Angus. How did the meeting at city hall go?" Trujillo asked and Angus patted his own chest with his right fist.

"It's done. Live shows are now allowed in establishments outside of Cadmium Town. Lots more venues to play into now." The long haired man lowered his gaze to the four teens again. "If you guys want to form a band, this is probably the best time ever. There's going to be a lot more demand for it, now. God knows we could use more offer."

"A band? Us?" Jaune asked and Angud laughed.

"I don't see other groups of young people inquiring about instruments in my shop. And you've got a pretty good setup already! Blue on the drums, beanie on bass... And that leaves you and red on the guitar." The man explained, before grabbing on his chin. "Although, that means we have to shape you up, boy."

"Heh? What did I do?" Jaune asked while Penny started looking around, her eyes taking in the various instruments until she settled on the guitar rack.

"If you came into our shop, you're probably going to be a rock band." Jaune mouthed the word 'rock'. What did stones have to do with it? "And rock'n'roll needs both rhythm guitar and lead guitar." Penny observed the rack before grabbing onto one in shades of very dark red.

"But I've never done that... Being lead guitar, I mean. Hell, I've only ever played on acoustic guitar, never on one of those. Why can't Penny do it?" Jaune asked, pointing at the redhead while she strapped on the instrument and her eyes settled on the screen mounted overhead on one of the walls. The clip of a band's live recording was playing, with a focused shot on the lead guitarist.

"It's called an electric guitar. And she maybe could play lead guitar but girls usually don't have the physical strength needed to-" The man's lesson was interrupted by the sudden apparition of a damn sweet riff.

Jaune, Angus and the rhythm section trio turned towards Penny whose hands moved on the guitar deftly, quickly and with no impediment whatsoever, mimicking the guitarist on the screen down to a T, including body position and head bobbing. Finishing with an overhead arm swing she turned to the flabbergasted group of people with a big smile. "... Reach all the measures."

"This electric guitar instrument is fun! Could I please purchase it?"

* * *

"One Music Man bass guitar, one Gibson SG..."

"I think things got out of hand." While Penny rang up the instruments and arranged for delivery to the school, Jaune was talking with Reese.

"Right?! Penny is a goddess on the guitar!" Jaune groaned and palmed his face.

"I was referring more to the fact that... I mean, are we actually starting a band?" Reese blinked and then laughed. "What?!"

"What do you call people playing different instruments together?" May added with a small amused smile. Jaune turned to her to retort... And she realized she had a point.

"You're acting like we just got signed up for a gig or something!" Reese shoved his right shoulder playfully and Jaune blanched while May also lost her smile and looked to the side. The thought of doing anything in front of a crowd still scared him. It always did.

It had become better over the weeks when it game to fighting thanks to Pyrrha, but that's because he actually felt he was getting better and not embarrassing himself quite as much as before.

Playing an instrument? Not dingdong likely.

"I mean, we need three things before we can do that. First, a good repertoire. Gigs we could get right now would be about entertaining patrons at diners or clubs or something. We can't run out of stuff to play." Oh god, she had plans. "Second, we need at least one original song! We want people to like us but then to remember us. Know what I'm saying?"

May shrunk on herself and stepped backwards and to the left behind Jaune, who wasn't faring very well himself. People remembering him. Remembering his blunders. Laughing at him...

"That's... Two." He asked, swallowing. "What's number three?"

"A singer. We should probably practice that too." Jaune cringed as memories of another sister who roped him into different lessons surfaced. And the results. And the shame...

Hell naw. There would be no playing in front of a crowd if he could help it.

* * *

"That was awesome, guys!" After leaving the Oleander the four had taken to the rest of Cadmium Town, enjoying the sights and food. In the end, Reese had brought them to see a live show.

It had been an interesting experience for Jaune. As he saw the band of five young adults fill their every waking moment with songs before transitioning into what Reese had identified as their original tunes towards the end, he was filled with both admiration and dread.

Admiration because not only were the five good to his ears -not as good as his sisters or say, Penny, but good- but because they looked and felt like they were having fun. They exuded life and confidence.

Dread because the thought of doing anything like that terrified him beyond belief. Because he had nothing that could realistically give him that confidence. Nothing that could make him strut on the stage like that singer or jam like the guitarist.

He was just Jaune. Who had just started to find something to fall on when it came to being a Huntsman. He had little to fall on when it came to playing an instrument.

And nothing at all when it came to singing, as his sister's laughter in his memories never ceased to remind him.

"Indeed! It has been absolutely fantastic!" Penny added with a big smile and May nodded but only half-heartedly. She was probably going through similar thoughts as Jaune at the moment.

He needed to nip this in the bud right now. Before...

"And guys, by the way... Thank you." Oh, god. Her head was lowered, her eyes barely meeting theirs as her hands were joined behind her back. "I don't have anyone to play with back in Mistral. Hell, I can barely play myself. So... This is really big to me."

"... Protection Act." May murmured and Jaune raised an eyebrow as he turned to the beanie wearing girl. What was that?

"Yup. If I wasn't a Huntress in Training I could have even gone to jail." And at that, Jaune's eyes widened as he turned to Reese who had stopped acting shy and was now regarding them with one of the warmest smiles he had ever seen. "So thanks, guys. I won't forget it."

... Yeah. No way in hell could he say what he wanted, now. _'I'm so screwed!'_

* * *

"I'm totally screwed!"

"Hey, Jaune! Welcome back!" Nora had saluted him but he ignored her in favour of falling on his bed face-first. "Huuu, was it that bad?"

"It will be." Jaune's words came out muffled but clear enough.

"Did something happen in town?" Pyrrha asked, worried.

"Everything was fine." Jaune groaned and lifted himself off the bed to run a hand through his hair. "That's the problem."

"I guess this has something to do with the acticity you chose." Ren commented, closing the book he was reading. "And your habit of not speaking up."

"... Pretty much." Jaune sighed. "So, my assigned team-mates are called Penny, Reese and May."

"All girls?" Nora asked with wide eyes. Jaune nodded and missed Pyrrha's stiffening.

"Yup. Penny is from Atlas. She's a bit weird, freakishly strong but very friendly. May is from Vacuo. Very silent, and you don't really know what she's thinking most of the time but she's cool. Reese is from Mistral..." He groaned. "She suggested the activity."

"And that would be?" Ren asked, a little smile coming to his face.

"We're starting a band." Jaune was met with surprise and amusement.

"Like music pling plong plang band?"

"Ordered the instruments and everything."

"Cool!"

"I did not know you could play an instrument."

"My sister plays the guitar and she needed a backup player for her lessons. And another wanted a backup singer so-"

"Jaune, you can sing?" Pyrrha asked with eyes wide and an expression on her face that made Nora roll her eyes. Jaune grimaced.

"No. No I can't." He let out and grabbed his head. "My singing is... But Reese was so enthusiastic. I thought it would be just a bonding thing but she mentioned making our own songs, live shows... And singing practice."

"So you're afraid that you'll embarrass yourself by singing?" Jaune nodded and Ren chuckled. "Jaune... Just tell -Reese, right? Just tell her you don't feel like singing."

"Or if you can't resist her smoochy motions and fluttering eyelids... Woah!" Nora gasped as her bedframe gave a loud metallic sound. "What was that?!"

"Jaune... From what you described these three girls aren't the kind who would laugh at or humiliate you if you can't sing." Pyrrha finished, giving Jaune her usual -although a bit strained- warm smile. "Maybe they'll be a bit amused if it's that bad but I don't think that'll colour their opinion of you. And if you're that bad, there's no way they're going to force you to sing in front of other people."

"... True." Jaune sighed and conceded the point. If Reese was that serious about starting a band, no way she was going to allow _him_ to be the singer. "It's just... I guess the way my sister laughed at me traumatized me a little. I've never sung in front of anyone ever again."

"You're going to let that stop you from making new friends?" Ren asked.

"Hell no." Jaune decided and hardened his resolve. "Alright. I'll sing, we'll laugh, I'll feel miserable for a few seconds and we'll never talk about it again!"

Never again.

* * *

"Penny, may I introduce you to headmaster Ozpin."

"A pleasure, headmaster! Thanks for letting me stay in Beacon!" Penny smiled and did an enthusiastic bow for the trio of teacher, headmaster and general collected in Ozpin's office. "I've never been around so many people before!"

"You are most welcome, Penny. Now, general Ironwood tells me you are an exceptionally observant person." The redhead smiled and nodded. "So, how did the first day of hanging around with your new friends go?"

"It was fan-tastic!" Penny gushed out much to Glynda's surprise. Ironwood sighed and Ozpin was seemingly unaffected. "We hit the town, tried instruments, saw exhibitions, sampled foods-"

"Wait, food?!" James interrupted, surprising everyone... He stared back for a few seconds and then cleared his throat. "Penny has... Allergies."

"Oh, that! Right! Uhm, dad gave me... Stuff for it when I heard I would be staying in Beacon." Penny said with a nod and no hiccups. "Anyway, it was so much fun!"

"And what do you think of your new friends?"

"Jaune is very funny! He seems to be holding back, though. Many times he looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself at the last second."

"Hmm..." Had mister Arc noticed something about his new acquaintances? "Miss Zedong?"

"May is nice. She seems smart but doesn't speak very often." Penny 'hmmed' before shaking her head from side to side. "She's very guarded. I can't really tell what she's thinking or what she's about to do unless she wants to let people know."

The three adults shared a look before returning their attention to Penny. "And finally miss Chloris?"

"She's very energetic but surprisingly vulnerable. She's the one who suggested we learn to play an instrument and play together but she was afraid we would say something against it every-Oh." Penny suddenly stopped, bringing her fingers to her mouth. "Maybe that's what Jaune wanted to say?"

"... I see." From what Penny told them, so far there were no indications of wrong-doing. At the same time though it was still too early to pass a not guilty verdict. If either Chloris or Zedong were involved with the enemy, their plan would be in the long-term.

"Thanks for your insights, Penny."

"My pleasure, general... Even if I feel a bit bad about going behind their backs like this." The redhead confessed and that earned her Ozpin's attention.

"Why do you feel bad, miss Polendina?" The headmaster asked, a small smile on his face. "Surely the general explained."

"Yes but, hmm, the thing is... I don't think any of them are bad people." She pouted and knocked her fist on her right temple gently a few times. "I don't know why... I just... Feel so?"

"And you would like to spend more time with them. Without any secret mission bringing you guilt." Penny nodded and Ozpin micked the gesture in return. "Well, the earlier we clean them of any suspicion, the earlier that can happen, no?"

"... True." The atlasian ginger smiled and bowed. "Thank you, headmaster." Ozpin then made a gesture as if to dismiss the girl, who left his office right after, elevator door closing behind her.

"She's a very nice girl." Glynda commented with a smile.

"Yes... She is." James sighed, something gnawing at the back of his head. It started with G and Penny herself was dealing with it at the moment. "We wait and see?"

"We wait and see. Miss Zedong remains a mystery, and miss Chloris?" Ozpin leaned back in his chair. "So far, she just seems like a young woman wanting to make music with friends."

"... That could still be a problem." Glinda sighed and tapped her right elbow. "Mistral's may be the strictest yet but Protection Acts are in place for a reason."

"True. In either case..." Ozpin grabbed onto his cup, observing his reflection in the contained liquid. "For now, we wait and see." He took a sip, savoring the strength and aroma before speaking again. "... So, going by their given names, would they be team JMPR?"

"Really unimpressive team, being named after clothing." Ironwood shot back, smiling. Ozpin shrugged.

"I thought about using the initials of their last names but the result doesn't sound like any word that I know of."

* * *

 **END OF TRACK 1**

* * *

 **I wouldn't call this a crossover. I haven't fused any other series with RWBY, although the more Rock 'N' Roll savvy readers may have already guessed who my 'OCs' are based on.**

 **Also, the title of the fic, the title of the chapter and the particular formation of the group -one lead guitar, one rhythm guitar, drums, bass guitar and singer- should give a big hint as to who Jaune, May, Penny and Reese will take inspiration from during the course of this story.**

 **If you haven't, I'm sure you will get it with the next chapters. I won't spoil the surprise ;) This story will be chock-full of references to Rock n Roll and that one band in particular, so keep an eye out.**

 **\- Meinos Kaen**

* * *

 **NEXT TIME, ON TRACK 2**

 **Rock 'N' Roll Singer**


	2. Rock'n'Roll Singer

**Shake Your Foundations**

 **Track 2 - Rock'n'Roll Singer**

Reese was having one of the best days of her life.

She wouldn't say she had grown up knowing more bad days than good days. Her family wasn't well off but she never had to go hungry. She had managed to enter Haven by merit of her grades and fighting skills. She wasn't miss popular but she wasn't a social pariah either. She had a good life.

Good but terribly restrained, damn it.

Ever since her parents had managed to save up enough money for that vacation to Vale city, ever since she saw _them_ play... Her life had changed. A new passion blossomed in her heart beside being a huntress and moving her parents out of the boonies.

A passion that she had been born in the wrong place to nurture. Her life had been good but restrained, gimped.

"Like this?"

"Yes! Hold still, Jaune." Which was why those thirty minutes spent setting up the equipment they had purchased in Cadmium Town with Penny, May and Jaune had been some of the happiest of her life, and they hadn't played a single note yet! Two turns later... "Aaaand goal!" She jumped back in a standing position, excitedly looking down at the now assembled drum kit.

"And that's one drum kit successfully constructed." Jaune stood with a grin on his face. All that practice helping his mother with the furniture paid off.

"We are also finished!" Penny announced and lo and behold, the string instruments were also now hooked to their amplifiers, and so was...

Jaune stiffened for a second as he laid eyes on a microphone which May finished straightening.

"Alright!" Reese clapped her hands. "So, who wants to jam?!"

"Huh? We're making confections?" Once again, Penny earned the stares of her newest team-mates and then their hilarity as they laughed. She flushed. "Uhm, I misunderstood another term of jargon, haven't I?"

"Yes... You did." Reese recovered first, only allowing herself one last snerk before addressing Penny. "We're talking about 'jamming'. It's a term for... Playing together without any sheet music to follow."

"Huh?" Penny stared back at Reese, tilting her head to the side. "But without sheet music prepared before hand, how do you know how to play?"

"You just do it." May interjected and sat down in one of the chairs of the sound-proof room Beacon had provided them. It was in the first underground floor of the complex and they had arrived there by going into the same elevator that usually brought people to Ozpin's office.

The beanie-wearing girl strapped on her Bass and grabbed onto the white pick she had picked out. She plucked a single string, the amp letting out a low humming note. Satisfied, she plucked the four string in a random pattern. She cringed at the result. "That was bad."

"That's what I'm saying!" Jaune chuckled at Penny's reaction as he put on his guitar. Unlike May, he didn't use a pick. His sister hadn't either and that was how he had been taught, blisters and all.

"Penny, do you think people making music have someone else telling them what to play?" Penny turned to Jaune, eyes slightly widening and then turned her head to the front, puffing her cheeks a little.

"That's true... But I just can't... Imagine doing it. I mean... Where do you even start?" She said, looking back at him with a pleading gaze.

"Heh, I remember my sister had the same question once." Her teacher, mister Hetfield, had a hearty laugh at it. He tried to remember the exact words he had used to explain but couldn't fully. "Well... You know how in a movie or series they use background music? The music has to... Fit what's going on the screen, right?" Penny nodded. "Alright... They say you can use dance to describe what a song is doing... But you can also do the opposite, you know? Use music to... Tell a story, an action."

"Hmm..." Penny brought a hand to her chin, her eyes looking like something in her mind was going a mile a minute. Reese and May observed, the former taking her seat at the newly formed drum-kit, her hands shivering as she grabbed onto the new, polish drumsticks, the wood feeling heavenly in her hands. "Could you maybe give me an example?"

"What about someone walking through a dark alley?" Reese suggested, twirling the drumstick in her left hand with practiced ease. One of the plates of the drum kit rang true a split second afterwards. Jaune snorted at the suggestion. That was random. The aqua haired drummer just shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay! Dark alley then!" Jaune said, grabbing the guitar's neck with his left hand hovering on the frets, while his right placed itself on the main part, ready to strike the strings. "Hmm... Alley, darkness, forebonding... So let's go with the thickest string at the lowest possible tone." The blonde said out loud, striking the sixth string, producing a low, mournful sound. "But maybe... Something is following the poor guy..."

"Okay, too dark! Give it a little life!" Reese laughed and started striking the plate on her left rhythmically. One. Two. Three. Four.

"And yet the rhythm you're giving it is slow and foreboding. " Jaune snorted. "Hmm... Then we need a higher note." Jaune nodded to himself, Penny keeping her attention on the room... Before closing her eyes in focus as Jaune struck the sixth string again, then the fifth and fourth in rapid succession, the latter two notes played at the seventh and fifth frets respectively.

"Don't stop." May smiled, observing the exchange, keeping her hands off her instrument for now. Reese suddenly struck the plate twice in rapid succession, before returning to the rhythm she had set before.

"Then... Hmmm..." He grumbled to himself, repeating the first three notes he had struck down... What if he went back? _'Sixth string again.'_ Sixth string, fifth string, fourth string... Then two times the sixth string again, but at the sixth and fifth fret.

"Almost there, baby. Almost there..." At that Jaune flushed and raised an eyebrow, looking at Reese who only laughed at his reaction. "Don't give me that look! You owe me one more note!" Jaune just stared back, hands still on the guitar, holding her gaze as she continued striking the plate... Before striking the fifth string at the seventh fret, without breaking eye contact. "Woohoo! That's what I'm talking about!" He rolled his eyes before turning to Penny.

"See? It's easy. You just... Put sounds to the things going through your mind." Jaune explained before starting to play the sixth notes he had just put together over and over, in rhythm with Reese's plate. Penny kept her eyes closed for a few more seconds before opening them and turning slowly to her own guitar. After a couple seconds she stood, picked it up and strapped it on.

"So I just... Join in?" She asked, also forgoing a pick.

"When you think it's best." Jaune nodded, Penny keeping her gaze on his fingers all the while... Then suddenly, when he went back at the beginning of the tab, Penny suddenly struck the strings while her right foot shot forward to the pedal connected to her amp, producing a distorted chord. Everyone's eyes went wide at that, and stopped whatever they were doing -nothing, in May's case-. As she realized what had happened, Penny blushed and held the guitar closer to her body. "W-Was that bad?"

"... No, that was... Good." Jaune let out, before acquiring a big smile. "That was pretty good."

"That wasn't good, that was great! Let's do it again!" Reese exclaimed before trusting her right drumstick in May's direction, who startled. "And this time you're joining in too, little miss! Put those fingers to work!"

"A-Alright..." May nodded, flushing under the attention. Penny beamed at the praise and grabbed on her guitar properly again.

"Alright, then. One, two, three four!" Reese exclaimed, beating her drumsticks together to give the others the tempo and this time let Jaune go a split second before her, the six notes loop starting right before her plates. At the fourth repetition, she did the one two with the plates again. "Okay... Join in when I speed up on the hat!" She said and Penny and May nodded, counting down the repetitions. Five, six, seven... On the eight Reese quickened up the rhythm at which she struck the plates, and at the fifth strike... "Aaaaand...!"

Penny joined in with the distorted chord once again, while May started firing out a rapid rhythm with the thickest string of her bass. Reese, in return, forgone the plate completely, instead focusing on the middle and small tom. Jaune's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden shift but kept in the loop for three more repetitions, before going off it and starting to go for chords as well. After the fourth repetition, Reese struck the hi-hat again and that's when he stopped. Penny and may joined him in inactivity right after, and Reese was the last, the music -because to Jaune's eyes that couldn't be called anything but- echoing for the last few seconds out their amps as they stared at each other.

"... A bit too dark for my tastes but..." Reese begun only to lower her head and hands, her body visibly shaking. "THAT WAS AWESOME!" She squealed out, unable to contain her excitement any longer. "This! This is what I've always wanted to do!"

"... I was making music." Penny let out in a small whisper that went unheard because of Reese's loud 'whoops' and random yells of approval, but May noticed the way she stared at her guitar.

 _'That... Was actually fun.'_ Jaune realized with a grin, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand, any leftover nervousness now gone. Reese's enthusiasm was infectious. "... Wanna go again?"

"Do I?!" A rhetorical question, really.

* * *

"Owowow... Aura, I wish you protected me from pain." It had protected him from damage, so there would be no further calluses building on top of the old ones, but Aura couldn't do anything for the immediate pain. After close to three hours of jamming and making music equal parts nice and terrible his fingers cried for rest.

"My wrists are so sore..." Reese lamented witj a half-smile half cringe. "We should have taken it easier."

"Ice pack." May muttered out as she started putting her basd away. Penny instead...

"Owowow! I am in so much physical pain right now!" Was exhibiting herself in a very unconvincing pantomime of pain. Hadn't they already experienced her unique brand of social akwardness they may have thought she was trying to mock them. You're all wrecks while I'm totally fine! Gnegnegne!

But they knew. So they realized this was just Penny's awkward way to try and share in the pain, so to speak.

"Riiiight." Jaune rolled his eyes and stood, stretching his back before removing his guitar. "Well, we should probably pack up."

"Yeah. No more jamming for today." Reese agreed and Jaune was thankful. "Let's just stretch the old vocal chords for a bit and then go." Reese added and Jaune cringed.

"Ah... Right. Singing." He looked with dread at the still mounted pole mic and swallowed saliva and hot air. In a few minutes, the instruments were properly cleaned and put away for the period of inactivity that awaited them.

Only his enemy remained.

Maybe if he glared at it really hard it would spontaneously combust? Grrrrr...!

"How should we do this?" May asked, poking the still-not-burning pole with her right index finger. The poke was amplified by the amp into a loud low thud.

"We sing, no? Everyone's got at least one song they like to sing along to." Reese shrugged and approached the microphone, grabbing the pole with her right hand and the main part of the microphone with her right.

"Oh! We can use a Scroll to look up the instrumentals on Scheentube!" Penny added and used one of the spare cables to connect her Scroll to one of the unused amps. Moving things along. Damn, Penny, stop being so helpful! "What are you going to sing, Reese?"

"Hmm... See if there's an instrumental for Key to the Skyway." At least he wasn't going to go first. He would be able to delay the inevitable for just a bit longer.

"A few, actually. Different artists." Reese grinned.

"Yeah, it's a Blues classic. It's great that more people are listening to it, now." Jaune blinked at the foreign word. "Hit me up with the version by Brik Clapton, plea~ase!"

"What's Blues?" Jaune asked and Reese turned to him with a smile.

"Blues is a genre of music born among Faunus communities. So it never had that much of a following outside of it until after the Faunus Revolution war." The aqua haired girl explained as Penny found a video featuring the track she had requested. "Now that more Faunus are living among humans though, it's started to spread and even humans have started playing it! Brik Clapton is such an artist, from Atlas... Except he uses an electric guitar." She chuckled.

"Some say he's a thief." May added and Reese rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah... Some say he's 'stealing the sound' from Faunus people. Oh, wow. What a crazy idea, someone finding a genre of music he likes and wanting to make his own songs." Reese sighed, shaking her head. "I can understand that Faunus have their problems, but complaining about someone liking Faunus things and wanting to partake in them... Isn't that a good thing for integration? And Brik's entire band is made up of Faunus, anyway. It's not like people are going to forget who created the genre."

"So... People complain that he himself isn't a Faunus but he's making music inspired by Faunus artists?"

"Pretty much. According to them, he should just... Not do music at all." Reese frowned at that though and shook her head. "Penny, hit the instrumental! I really feel like singing this, now!"

"Certainly!" The ginger smiled and touched the scroll's touchscreen. A sound of strumming electric guitar immediately echoed from the connected amp, followed right away by what Jaune now distinguished as a bass, then drums and a new instrument: a piano.

 **"I got the key!"** Reese began as the intro reached its crescendo, flowing into the first verse. **"To the skyway!"** As she sang, Jaune found himself tapping his right foot and slightly bobbing his head to the infectious rhythm of the song. May was in a similar situation even if her movements were much more subdued. Penny just smiled as she watched the mistralian drummer continue.

Jaune found Reese's voice very energetic and loud. **"When the moon!"** She couldn't reach all the pitches which he guessed the song required but he still found himself smiling at her performance. **"Peeks over the mountains!"** He absent-mindendly followed the lyrics, which spoke of a slighted man leaving town via 'skyway' -which he guessed meant he was taking the next airship out- because of a significant over pushing him away. What was really left impressed on him is that Reese loved the song. Even during the long instrumental parts in the middle and the outro she kept grinning and bobbing her head to the music. If they were enjoying the performance, she loved being the performance. "Hehehe, okay... That was a bit of cheating. There wasn't much singing in there."

"That was a wonderful song, Reese! You were good!" Penny clapped enthusiastically, prompting Jaune and May to follow suit. Reese rubbed the back of her head, flushing in embarrassment.

"Thanks for the white lie! I know that I ain't got enough range to do it justice."

"We should practice this." May suggested and everyone turned to her. She shrugged her shoulders. "We need a repertoire."

"That's... A good idea, but we haven't a piano player." Reese answered.

"And we got two guitars." Jaune added.

"We can use a sample track for the piano! And look here!" Penny held up her Scroll for everyone to see. It was a video of a performance for Key to the Skyway where Brik was joined on stage by a Faunus with a headband rings in his ears, and they were both sporting electric guitars. "Two guitars!"

"Oh, man! That's the Crossroads live!" Reese exclaimed, eyes wide and biting her lower lip. "Alright, motion approved! Can I leave finding a sample track for the piano to you, Penny?"

"Sure!" Penny said and then turned to Jaune. "Wanna go next, Jaune?" He shivered.

"... Sure." He groaned. Better to get this over with as soon as possible. He decided to at least try his best and thought of a song he felt more confident than most into. "Uhm, there's this song from a band called The Monkeys..."

* * *

"Jaune isn't back yet?"

"Nnnnnope." Nora answered to Pyrrha without raising her head from the book she was reading.

"He should have only been two hours." Pyrrha stated, honestly surprised.

"I guess that band practice has gone well, then." Ren interjected from the kitchen, his voice loud enough to carry over the sound of a blender mixing up his energy drinks.

"... I guess." Pyrrha shrugged as she started removing her jacket, finally allowed to change out of her uniform. "I'm just surprised. Considering Jaune's dread about singing..."

"He probably realized his problem wasn't that bad." Ren shrugged his shoulders. "I can understand why he'd be embarrassed, but... It's nothing that bad. I doubt he's hanging around the likes of Cardin."

"You understand?" Pyrrha turned to Ren with surprise clear on her face.

"I can guess what the problem is... Jaune has a pretty high pitched voice at times, no?" The verdant ninja said and Pyrrha's eyes filled with comprehension. "So, I can only assume that the reason why Jaune dreads singing is..."

* * *

"... Please say something!" Jaune whined out after almost a full minute of silence that had followed his attempt at singing the chorus of Believer.

He had chosen a song he knew pretty well on purpose. He knew how it was supposed to go at all times. It was one of his mother's favourite songs and they sang it together so many times when he was young...

But he got too excited.

He had forgotten how exactly the lyrics went and how well they related to him. A song about a person who thought love was beyond his reach, meant for people other than him.

But then he met someone who caught his shriveling heart and jumpstarted it with just one look at her visage.

 **"Then I saw her face..."** Silver hair, aabaster skin, deep eyes and that scar that marring her perfection only served to make her more unique... **"Now I'M A BELIE~EVEEEER!"** He realized he had failed to keep his instincts in check and let his voice go full himself only afterwards. Slapping his hands on his mouth did nothing, the damage had been done.

And he didn't even know what the damage was. All the three girls had done since hearing him was stare at him with equal parts surprise, curiosity and... Evaluation?

"... Jaune, I realize that since we have known each other for a short period of time this kind of advice may be considered overstepping my boundaries." Thank gods, Penny talked! But what did she mean by advice? "But I think consuming this much alcohol cannot be good on your body."

... Wait, what?

"Too much smoke, too." May added and only to Jaune's confusion.

"What-"

"Seriously, man. If I had to take a guess... Oh, you need some counseling." Reese finished with serious concern in her voice.

"Waitwaitwait! What are you talking about?!"

"But you must tell me your secret! Despite everything, your teeth are perfect!"

"Why shouldn't-"

"No bad breath."

"Of course I d-"

"And your overall skin complexion is incredibly healthy as w-"

"I DON'T DRINK OR SMOKE!" He suddenly exploded, the barrage of confusing concern and compliments becoming too much. He breathed quickly, red in the face. "I-I don't-What the hell are you talking about? I've never smoked anything in my entire life!"

"... Not even a singular cigarette?"

"No!"

"Drink?"

"... Occasionally. But only occasionally! Last time I had a beer was... Way before coming to Beacon." He admitted. He was no saint but he wasn't a drunk-why was Reese grasping his shoulders?

"... You're telling me that those screeching, high pitched vocals are not the result of repeated abuse on your vocal chords but completely natural?" That's what it was all about? His voice was so bad that they thought he was a heavy drinker and a chain smoker at the same time? He just nodded, really noy knowing what to say or what to expect...

Then Reese grinned like a Cheshire and he knew fear.

* * *

"... She wants you to be the lead singer."

"I _am_ going to be the lead singer!" Jaune answered Ren's inquiry while bashing his head against the wall of their apartment. Nora chortled and fell ass over teakettle backwards out of her bed. "You know me, Ren! How could I refuse when... When..."

"She asked 'would you kindly' and made a cute face at you?" Jaune groaned and bashed his head against the wall once more, Aura making it a symbolic show more than anything else. This time it was Ren's turn to laugh.

"Not in those exact terms but..." He sighed and pulled his head away from the offended plaster and held his face. "Seriously, this is so many kinds of confusing! I've been nothing but teased to hell and back for my voice but Reese wants me to be the frontman of the band?"

"I thought that'd be a boost of confidence for you."

"Yeah, but I worry that... She might have made a wrong judgment call. I mean, I've never heard anyone with a voice like mine on Schneetify." Ren nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want to ruin this for her..."

"That's your worry but, knowing what you know of Reese so far, do you think she might have made a wrong call?" Jaune paused, mimicking Ren's pose as he thought of the jamming session they had had that day. While the atmosphere had been relaxed, Reese had been kind of authoritative. She wanted everyone to pitch in and play together and off each other, guiding them on the beat, rhythm, attacks... No, Reese was taking this very seriously while having a blast doing it.

He ultimately shook his head.

"Well, I guess that there's only one explanation left then." Nora offered with a grin as she plopped with her torso back on her bed, head leaned on her crossed arms. "She saw something in your voice that no one else has MOTHERF-!" Nora blushed, catching herself before she could finish a pretty uncharacteristic curse.

But seriously, how did the metal frame of the bed suddenly give in for the second time in less than a week?!

"That..." Jaune seemed unfazed by the whole thing as he thought about Nora's words. Reese had seen something in his voice? "... I guess that could also be it, yes." Jaune smiled, a sense of sudden warmth making its way from his core and to all over his body. "Thanks, guys... Uh, by the way..." He had asked his team-mates for counsel but so far one voice had been missing the whole time: that of his partner. He turned to her bed. "What do you think, Py-" He stopped, eyes widening and body freezing.

Pyrrha was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking up at him with her hands joined and hidden between her legs, looking for the world like some kind of sad puppy. "Jaune..."

"... Yes...?"

"Would you kindly accompany me to Vale tomorrow?" ... Oh, god damn it. He wanted to read through his X-Ray and Vav backlog tomorrow...

"... Sure." While on the outside Pyrrha smiled, on the inside her line of thought was something along the lines of...

 _'That's SERIOUSLY all I needed to do?!'_

* * *

 **END OF TRACK 2**

* * *

 **Here's a little challenge for you readers. Can you find all the musical references in this and the previous chapter? And have you guessed what band is the inspiration for Jaune and company yet?**

 **Also, if you like my writing, may I suggest going to my Tumblr at project-jpde dot tumblr dot com. It's home to a little project of mine that I think you'll love.**

 **Meinos Kaen**


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